


Inseparable

by rudbeckia



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Brendol Hux's A+ Parenting, Character Death, Child Neglect, Gen, Imaginary Friends, Mild Horror, Murder
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 08:28:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18362321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rudbeckia/pseuds/rudbeckia
Summary: Armitage can’t remember when he invented his friend but in the dark pit of loneliness,Kylo’s a spark.But Kylo’s not real. Is he?





	Inseparable

**Author's Note:**

> See end notes for warnings about the nasty bits.

Armitage can’t remember when he invented his friend but in the dark pit of loneliness, Kylo’s a spark. When he’s happy, Kylo giggles with him, quiet so that Father won’t be woken and angry. When he’s sad, Kylo cries with him, silent tears wetting his skin as their faces almost touch. When he needs comfort, Kylo’s there with a hug as warm and soft as his pillows. When he’s afraid, Kylo is there, crammed into a hiding place with a hand over his mouth while Father rages.

Everywhere Armitage goes, Kylo goes too. They play in the attic where dust motes fly up and spiral down, laughing at old photographs of Brendol in his war-years uniform and sobbing silently at the single, torn-edged image of a young woman in the charcoal and grey of a maid’s uniform. When Armitage wants to wander in the grounds, Kylo comes too and they climb trees so high that Armitage thinks he might faint. Kylo laughs and says cruel things but Armitage knows he doesn’t intend to be mean. It must be true. Father said it first. Armitage snaps that fact at Kylo one day when Armitage won’t leap with closed eyes into the meltwater-swollen river. Kylo never calls him weak or thin or useless again and he holds Armitage’s hand on the walk home.

They’re inseparable. When Armitage is sent away to school, a funless place with cold classrooms and stern teachers, Kylo goes too. They talk less, but Kylo understands that a stolen whisper under the thin blanket after lights out is worth a whole afternoon’s lazy conversation back home. In the holidays, Kylo comes home with Armitage and stays in his room, venturing out only when Father is out dining or out cold.

One afternoon, Father informs Armitage that he must be old enough by now to care for himself for a night. Father has important business to attend to, business that will earn money to pay the fees that invest in Armitage’s expensive education, clothes and food. Wise enough, if not old enough, Armitage wishes Father a good evening. Once the front door slam stops echoing in his head, Armitage smiles and closes his eyes. “We can do what we want now,” he says. “What do you want to do, Kylo?” Of course there’s no answering giggle. Armitage cocks his head and nods. “I agree. Watch television then have dinner.” Armitage goes into the forbidden lounge and turns on the big TV. He holds the remote but lets Kylo choose the programme. They sit on the fancy sofa and watch a documentary about space.  
“I want to be an astronaut and live on a space ship,” Armitage decides on the spot. Kylo agrees that he wants to be an astronaut too, and they bicker gently about who would be the better space captain until Kylo says they should be joint best at everything they ever do.

When Armitage feels hungry, he slips down from the sofa and goes to the kitchen. He opens the fridge. “Well then,” he says, looking through the meagre supplies. “I could make salad with half a lettuce, some bendy cucumber and a squishy tomato. Or there’s some eggs but I only know how to boil those and I think Father had the last of the bread so there’s no soldiers.” He closes the fridge and opens the freezer underneath. He laughs. “Or there’s pizza. What should I make for us, Kylo?”

“Pizza.”

Armitage doesn’t blink, he doesn’t turn. He says, “Kylo? What do you want for dinner?”

“I said I want pizza. The pepperoni one. With extra cheese.”

Armitage turns. Standing in the space he imagined Kylo ought to be, is a dark-haired boy of around his age. He boy smiles. Armitage reaches out his hand wondering if it will pass straight through but the boy’s arm feels solid enough, and warm. He’s wearing the outfit Armitage invented for him of black jeans and a hoodie, and his dark hair falls in soft waves almost to his shoulders.

Armitage nods. “Well then,” he says. “We’ll have pizza.”

When the pizza is hot, Armitage slices it in the tray and takes the whole thing through to the living room. They sit on Father’s fancy sofa and eat greasy pizza with their hands. Kylo knows where Father hides the expensive ice cream and dares Armitage to serve them two scoops each. It’s the best thing Armitage has ever tasted. He laughs at the delighted expression on Kylo’s face. “I’m glad you’re here,” he says.  
Kylo grins back. “I’ve always been here. You just didn’t see me.”

They watch television until Kylo’s head suddenly jerks up. Armitage hears the slam of a car door and the crunch of feet on gravel. They slide off the sofa and dart upstairs to Armitage’s room. Armitage gets into bed and pulls the covers over his head. Kylo slides in behind him. They lie in the warm dark, silent apart from breathing, as Father clatters and crashes around downstairs. Armitage dozes until his bedroom door opens and Father comes in to check he is asleep. There’s a cold emptiness where Kylo had lain against his back and Armitage stifles a sob.

Father leaves. Armitage sleeps. He’s awoken some time in the night by a noise. A creak or a groan, a house noise of wooden beams settling probably, but Armitage conjures up all kinds of terrors. He’s not aware that he’s whimpering until he feels an arm around him, a hand stroking his hair and hears a voice murmuring at him to shush. Armitage turns, Kylo is back. Armitage hugs him and confesses that he has nightmares about Father. Kylo strokes his head, soft soothing fingertips combing through his hair.  
When Armitage is calm again, Kylo murmurs, “You know we can do something about that. We could make you feel safe.”  
Armitage listens as Kylo whispers to him. He falls asleep afraid and excited and hopeful and dreading the next day all at once. But Kylo has promised to stay.

The next morning, Father wears the face that makes Armitage want to hide. But Kylo is with him, at his shoulder while he pours Father more coffee and brings him his medication when he yells and curses for it. Armitage always tries to say the name on the pharmacy label but it’s too long and has too many unfamiliar letter groups so he falters after the first syllable. Kylo looks at the box over his shoulder while Armitage pops out two glossy bicoloured capsules to take to Father with a glass of water, then pockets the box for want of anywhere else to put it. Kylo stays while Armitage gets ready for cram school. Kylo walks with Armitage to the bus stop and gets on the bus with him. Kylo chooses the seat next to Armitage, the one that usually stays empty while other children stand. Kylo stares out of the window so Armitage doesn’t speak to him until the bus stops and they get out. Kylo walks beside Armitage through the building, chattering away as if he knows that being in a crowd makes Armitage’s mouth go dry. Somehow, they get through the day without anyone noticing Kylo at all, even when he whispered answers to Armitage during a pop quiz and failed to hand in his own paper.

Father is not home yet. Armitage unlocks the front door and pushes it open. There’s no note telling him to feed himself or to do chores so he settles at the kitchen table to do his homework. Kylo tells him it’s a waste of time and Armitage snaps at him then cries. Kylo says he’s sorry and hugs him. Armitage finishes his work and forgives Kylo, then packs his schoolbag for tomorrow. Kylo says he’s getting hungry just as Armitage feels his stomach complain. They eat boiled eggs that scald their fingers and leave the last pizza for Father.

It is almost bedtime when Kylo calls a warning and Armitage hears Father come home. Father calls for Armitage and scowls at him.  
“Homework done?”  
“Yes, sir.”  
“Hm. Chores?”  
“I tidied up after myself, sir.”  
“Hm.”  
“Would you like me to make the pizza?”  
“No. I ate out. You’d probably ruin it anyway. Bring me a glass of port and the nice cheese. I had to skip dessert to come home to see you.”  
“Thank you, sir.”

As Armitage scurries away to fetch Father’s port and cheese, he thinks he hears the word _useless_ muttered at him. In the kitchen, Armitage finds the stilton and the cave-aged cheddar and the port. He reaches up for a tulip-shaped glass and hears the rattle in his pocket. Kylo is patting it. He takes out the box of capsules.  
“Father will want those,” Kylo says.  
“Then I should see that he gets them,” replies Armitage.  
Armitage pops out all the capsules. Together in his hand they look like a palmful of sweets and he laughs. Then he pulls apart each capsule, rolling and tapping the halves to empty out the white powder within. When he has emptied every single capsule, he scoops the powder into the glass and throws away the box and the empty halves. Armitage pours Father’s port, careful not to spill a drop of the sweet, sticky wine, and stirs it with a cocktail stick. He checks the powder has all dissolved, tops up the glass a little more, balances a stack of crackers on the cheese plate and takes them through to Father.  
“You took your time. I bet you’re stupid enough to get lost in your own house.”  
“I’m sorry, Fa—“  
“Shut up. Never mind. Give me that.”  
Armitage puts the glass on the table and Father takes the cheese plate from him, putting a large chunk of stilton into his mouth. Armitage thinks he might throw up, and Kylo pulls him out of the room. He stays nearby, out of sight, in case Father yells for something else, but after one more glass of port Father falls asleep on the sofa, mouth open, snoring. Kylo makes piggy noises and Armitage feels a giggle bubbling under his breath and shushes him. He turns the TV off and they go to bed.

In the morning, Armitage wakes late to silence. There’s no coffee-maker noise and no groans or grunts, and no demands or threats. Armitage showers and dresses quickly, barely protesting when Kylo comes into the bathroom too, then goes downstairs. He goes into the kitchen first and sets up the coffee machine. He waits for it to brew and pours a bowl of cereal for himself and one for Kylo, but there’s no milk left so he leaves them on the counter. Kylo says they should check on Father. Armitage doesn’t want to but Kylo insists so they tiptoe into the living room. Father is exactly where they left him, but even Armitage can sense that he is no longer merely asleep. Curious, Armitage inches closer and notes the stillness in the room, the silence. Father’s rasping breathing is absent and his chest is not moving. His eyes are open just a little and when Armitage bends closer to look, he sees glassy, pinpoint pupils.

Kylo tells Armitage he should call the police, so Armitage does that. He explains to the operator that he is at home with his father who is not waking up. He parrots his address and hangs up even though the operator told him to stay on the line and talk to her.

The police and paramedics arrive in a storm of swirling red and blue and a wail of sirens. Armitage opens the front door and they all come in, the green uniformed paramedics first. Armitage points to the living room and follows them in, trailed by two police officers and with Kylo holding his hand. He just has time to see one of the paramedics shake her head and shrug at the police officers when he’s gently pulled from the room and taken to the kitchen. A slim man in uniform is pouring coffee and the paramedics are talking to the police. Kylo moves closer to the door and Armitage hears _”Can’t say what killed him, that’ll have to wait for the coroner,”_ and _”I can’t believe he’s got his kid living here and there’s no proper food in the house. One cheap pizza and some smelly cheese. You been upstairs? There’s not even any toys or nothing.”_  
“I don’t know if you want breakfast,” he says. Armitage shakes his head. Kylo slips from the room to follow the talk in the hallway. _”I’ll get onto child services but the social workers are stretched pretty thin these days and I bet there isn’t a place in an emergency shelter or a foster home and the station’s no place for a boy who’s just seen his father’s corpse.”_

The doors close. Kylo comes back, smiling. Armitage sips coffee and makes a face. The young police officer laughs and smooths Armitage’s hair. After a while, The older police officer comes into the kitchen.  
“I’ll have to stay here until the investigation team arrive. Children’s Services said of course they will come for him. Tonight or tomorrow morning. We need somewhere safe and happy for him to go.”  
Armitage’s face burns with the shame of being spoken about. Kylo prods his leg. “Tell them you can come to my house,” he suggests. “I can tell you the way and you can show them.”  
Armitage looks up at the older officer. “I can go to Kylo’s house. He’s my best friend.”  
“I’m not sure,” the officer says. “Will Kylo’s parents allow it?”  
Kylo sneers. “Of course they will. We’ve been friends forever and we stay over at each other’s houses all the time.”  
Armitage passes on Kylo’s message. The younger officer looks at the older one. “What harm can it do? Better than having the kid stay in the same house as his... as _that_ and I can check out the parents when I drive him there. What do you think?”  
The older officer hums and haws for a moment then sighs. “As long as we know where he is and they understand that he’s not to be left alone or taken anywhere else, I can’t see there’d be a problem.”  
The younger officer smiles at Armitage. “Come on then, show me your room and we’ll pack a bag.”

Kylo runs upstairs ahead of Armitage and the officer trails behind. Armitage picks up his schoolbag and upends it onto his bed, shaking out all the books and papers and pencil shavings that have accumulated there. Kylo points out which clothes he should take and the police officer reminds him about the existence of underpants and toothbrushes. Armitage grabs what he needs and takes Kylo’s hand. Settled into the back seat of the car, Armitage cranes his neck to see all the controls in the police car cabin. The officer laughs. “You want to see how all of this works? Maybe when I come back to get you I’ll let you sit up front and watch how to turn the lights and the sirens on and off. And there’s a really cool camera.”

Armitage squeezes Kylo’s hand to show that his eager fascination is not a betrayal. He loves Kylo best. When they pull away from the kerb, Kylo gives directions to Armitage and Armitage passes them on. The police car stops outside a modest family home. It’s in a decent area of town, all neat gardens and ten year old cars, affluent enough without being showy. The officer nods in approval.  
“I’ll walk you in,” he says, “and talk to your friend’s parents. What was your friend’s name again?”  
“Kylo,” says Kylo, standing beside the car. Armitage almost laughs at how easily Kylo has slipped from the car and startled him. The officer smiles and holds out his hand.  
“Well then, Kylo, Armitage has had a rough morning but he’s been so very brave.“  
Kylo ignores the officer’s hand. “This way,” he says, and walks up the path to the front door. Armitage is right behind with the police officer a few yards back. Kylo shoulders the door open and pulls Armitage inside, slamming the door behind them. Armitage looks around in wonder. It’s nothing like he expected and nothing like the house he’d lived in with Father. It looks like he expects a spaceship should look, all silver metal and black and red. He turns a full circle, then another, then laughs. The white plastic, glass-panelled front door that should be behind him has vanished.  
Kylo smiles. “You have nothing to worry about any more,” he says. “You’re home for good.”

**Author's Note:**

> Brendol is verbally and emotionally abusive towards Armitage and neglects him.  
> Armitage kills his father by giving him an overdose of prescription painkillers.  
> Kylo gets more powerful as Armitage depends on him more.  
> Kylo effectively kidnaps Armitage and takes him to some other dimension - ok Armitage is better off there, but still. Not cool, Kylo.


End file.
